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Future applications such as high-speed trains or medium-voltage DC collecting grids for wind parks require a galvanic isolation between a medium-voltage system and a low-voltage system, yet the available space is constrained. Compared to conventional solutions employing conventional passive low-frequency transformers, solid-state transformers (SSTs) based on novel silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors provide supreme performance in terms of efficiency and power density.

Deep Geothermal Energy is a fundamental component of the Energy Strategy 2050 of Switzerland – expected to produce at least 7% of the present demand of electricity, or 4.4 TWh in 2050. To reach this target, we need to show that deep geothermal energy can be extracted safely and at competitive costs. To demonstrate this capacity, we initiated large-scale in-situ stimulation and circulation experiments in the Grimsel Test Site.

Economic activities strongly depend on critical energy infrastructures, e.g. the electric power system. Failures in the electric infrastructure not only cause power supply disruption, but also produce losses across the dependent economic sectors. This project models cascading failures in power systems and captures their impact to society and industrial sectors.

ERC Starting Grant project WINDMIL aims to establish a smart framework for life-cycle assessment of Wind Turbines (WTs), guiding the management of these assets from cradle-to-grave. The project couples easily deployed and affordable sensor technology with state-of-the-art numerical modeling and data processing tools for diagnosing condition and predicting residual life.